Surgical electrode



Oct. 24, 1933. E c; WAPPLER SURGICAL ELECTRODE Filed Sept. 2, 1931 INVENTOR has particular reference is latented Oct. 24,

UNITED STA My present invention SURGICAL ELECTRODE Frederick Charles Wappler, New YongN. it. Application September 2,192.1; Serial umsso ss I 1 Claim. (01. 17449) relates generally to surgical instruments, and has particular reference to a surgical electrode.

' The type of electrode to which my invention one which is adapted to conduct alternating current of high frequency and transmit the same to body tissue to be treated, usually within the confines of a body cavity. By the use of a proper and suitable type of alternating current, the nature of which will be understood by those skilled in the art, the application thereof to body tissue can be made to produce either a coagulation or cookingof the tissue, or, where desired, dissection, resection, or

an, efiect which permits cutting ingeneral.

While the general effects of alternating currents of high frequency, applied in themanner mentioned, are not fully understood at the present-time, it seems probable that the coagulative efiect is caused by the generation of heat sufficient to boil-at least part within the body tissue, virtually cooked. This panied by any carbonization of the tissue of the inherent moisture the latter being thereby cooking is unaccomand has the highly advantageous effect of rendering the tissue hemostatic.

Where the current is used for cutting purposes, the electrode is attenuated in such a manner that theconcentration of current at the lineof contact between the electrode and the tissue contacted thereby is sufficient to generate a sparkor sparks which seem to and rapidcoagulation, followed by Accordingly,

of the tissue itself.

produce an immediate a breakdown if the tool is properly wielded and advanced through the tissue immediately behind the sparks which are produced, an effect is produced which is similar to that. of an exceptionally sharp knifeoperations of this charac less and Cutting ter are practically bloodare highly advantageous because ofthe ability of whatever sear or coagulation is produced to heal with extreme rapidity ent ease.

Many of the diflicultie tor, however, are due to ing current of proper In cutting, the current iering load conditions.

and appars confronting the operathe necessity for applyand suitable characteristics. must be especially stable and the oscillations must be sustained under dif- In pure coagulation, the

, current which is applied must be such that sparking and consequent cutting will be prevented.

A general object of m provide an improved signed that treatments ting thereof, by means 0 y present invention is to electrode which is so deof tissue, especially cut f a high-frequency elec- I tric current, may vberendered safer, more expeditious, and more reliably bloodless.

Cutting operations of the character described,

while essentially bloodless, are nevertheless frequently accompanied by hemorrhages of one sort or another. Customarily, this condition is remedied by the removal of the electrode and'the application of clamps, whereupon the operator frequently touches the-electrode to the clamps and thereby induces a coagulation at the area or areas contacted by the clamps. 1

It is a more specific objectof my present invention to provide an electrode Whose use dispenses entirely with the necessity for any withdrawal thereof, whether hemorrhages develop or not, as the cutting proceeds. More especially,

I have-provided'an electrodewhich is so constructed that be employed,

the operative head thereof may without withdrawal of the electrode, either for purposes of cutting or for purposes, of pure coagulation.

invention resides .in the provision of an electrode wherein'an operative. head has a plurality of arms, preferably two. One of the arms is'attenuated so as to be usable to produce a cuttingyefiect, and another arm isfof generally bulbous nature, so that its use may produce a pure coagulative effectl'" A feature of rny invention resides in designing the several arms of the operative head in, such a manner that one and the same be employed Asa result, my present eletrode withdrawn from use'untilthe particular operato produce the respective effects. need not be ,tion has been entirely. completed in a wholly hemostatic 'm'annerj and lthe operator is not called upon at any time to make any tedious or diflicult adjustments in the particular generator of alternating ,Figure 1 is current which is being employed.

I achieve the foregoing objects, and such other objects asmayhe'reinafter appear or be pointed ,out, in the m the accompanying drawing, wherein,

anner. illustratively exemplified in current may a side view of an electrode constructed in accordance with the present, invention,. a portion being broken away for the sake of compactnes Figure 2 is an end view/taken from the left of Figure 1; and

Figure 3 is section.

an enlarged side viewjpartly in In the embodiment illustrated by Way of example, I have shownan electrode which consists of a relatively elongated handle memberlO of insulating ma teriaL'this membergbei'ng adapted to be inserted into a body cavity. An operative head 11 is mounted on the inner end of the handle 10, and means are provided whereby the desired alternating current may be fed through the handle 10 from the rear end 12 thereof to the operative head 11.

In accordance with my present invention, the head 11 is provided with a plurality of branches or arms, and I have illustratively shown two. One arm 13 is relatively flat, elongated, and attenuated, so that the edge thereof may be employed for purposes of cutting tissue. The other arm 14 which I have illustrated is provided with an enlarged bulbous end 15 which is preferably substantially spherical in contour The arms 13 and 15 are's'o designed and fpr'oe portioned that the same electric current, under a the same conditions of generation thereof, may be employed to produce difierent effects. .Thus, the arm 13 is so designed that the operative edge area thereof is sufficiently small to produce a cutting spark "or "sparks wheneverthe "edge is brought into contact with the tissue to be cut. 'The size of the arm 13 is such that the cutting spark or sparks will be produced even when the cutting arm is inserted to its maximum extent into the tissue which is to be cut. Similarly, the arm 14 and the bulbous end 15 are so designed and proportioned that under the same current co'n'ditions,a purely'coagulative and nonsparking effect will be produced whenever the bulbous arm is applied to the tissue.

The importance of properly designing the two arms of the electrode head in predetermined relationship to one another will be more fully appreciated when it is borne in mind that the desired advantages and effects would not be produced'und'er other conditions. Thus, if the edge area of the 'arm 13 is too small the electrode would become unduly heated because of the extreme current concentration. By the same token, if the edge area is too great, the desired cutting -spark would not be produced with the desired stability thereof.- Furthermore, if the bulbousarm is made too large, coagulation might not be achieved; and if it were made too small, there would be danger of inducing the formation of sparks which would have abutting efiect and which would certainly not be conducive of hemostasis. v

Although, from certain aspects, my invention is not restricted to any specific form of construction, I have found an electrode of the character herein illustrated 'tobe highly advantageous from the'standpointof manufacture and reliable use. I'pr'efer to mount the arms 13 and 14 upon a rearwardly extending stem '16 adapted torbe "engaged withinan axial bore through the longitudinally split, exteriorly threaded neck 17. This neck 'is formed 'upon the forward end of the main or body portion of the handle 10, and is of conductive material electrically connected through the handle 10 with a suitable binding post Knotillustrated) carried within the rear'encl of'thehandle 10. Suitable'electrical'connection can be made in any preferred and well known manner with such binding post, as indicated diagrammatically at 18. Applicable over the threaded neck 1'7 is the forwardly tapered handle portion 19 whose exterior diametenat the rear,

is the same as that of the body portion of the handle 10 so thatwhen the entire electrode is assembled a smooth contour is produced. The

portion 19 has a bore Itherethrough adapted to accommodate the stem 16, and rearwardly of sense.

this bore I provide an interiorly threaded portion adapted to engage with the threads on the neck 17; This interiorly threaded portion is slightly tapered, so that when the portions of the handle are screwed together, the split sections of the neck 17 will engage frictionally and snugly around the rear end of the stem 16 and thereby hold the operative head in proper position.

"When the sections of the handle are unscrewed and separated from each other, the head v11 may be withdrawn forwardly, and this provides an emcient means for sterilizing the same, as wellas for interchangeability of operative heads, if desired.

When my present electrode is used, the generator of alternating current, of whatever nature it may be, is adjusted in such a manner that a cutting spark will be generated in the desired way at the operative edge of the arm 13. The formation of this spark permits the electrode to be wielded in such a manner that the arm is caused to follow behind the sparkyand any desired incision or cut may thus be accomplished.

essentially hemostatic, resulting in the' produc- "tion of a sort of sear which automatically prevents bleeding, it frequently'h'appens that the portions of the tissue which are being cut-continue to bleed after the cutting has been acc'o'mplished. Should this occur, the operator merely turns'the electrode, in situ, and applies the bulbous end 15 to the point of bleeding. Apart'frbm any' electrical effect that may be produced, it-is obvious that this bulbous arm provides an immediate mechanical plug for the sourceof bleeding. The immediacy with which thismay be-accomplished is of extreme importance and "value because no opportunity is thereby afforded for any more serious hemorrhage to develop. Furthermore, the application of the bulbous arm in "the manner described produces an immediate ooagulative eiiect, unaccompanied by any sparking whatsoever, as a result of which the tool-may be almostimmediately-rewielded in the normal manner to proceed with the desired'cutting operation.

Because "of the predetermined relative design of the two arms of the operative headgno adjustments whatsoever to the source-ofalternating other circumstances is sometimes a dificult arid timeconsuming'one. I

-After the desired dissection or resection has current are required, a procedure which under ,51"

been accomplished, the tool is withdrawn, and

the operation is thereby entirely completed with- 1- out'any necessity for further treatments involving the application and/or removal of clamps orthe like. The use of'my electrode thereby results not only in agreat saving of timeand e'ifort,

but "it also-permits the field of operatio'n' to =remain clear of extraneous instruments and the like; it avoids traumatism that may be due' to the use of clamps or the like; and it accomplishes the desired results in a rapid and-expeditious manner'vvith-a minimum o'fsloug'hiiig; "In general, it will be-obvious that changes in the details herein described and illustrated for the purpose of explaining the nature 'of my in- *verition'maybe made by those skilled in the art without *departing from the spirit and sc'opebf theiriventiorras expressed in th e appended 'claim. It is therefore intended that these details be interpreted-as illustrative, and not in a limiting Having thus lustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- An electrode for application of high-frequency electric current to body tissue, comprising an insulated handle, an electric terminal at the rear end of the handle adapted to be connected to a single source of high-frequency current, a conductor extending forwardly through the handle from said terminal, and a conductive operative head at the forward end of said handle comprising a rearward stem extending into the handle and into electrical connection with said conductor, and two forwardly branching arms on said stem; one of said arms being sumciently attenuated so as to produce cutting sparks when applied to tissue, yet sufliciently large to prevent melting under the current concentration effected thereby, the other arm being sufliciently large in area to prevent sparking when applied to said tissue, yet sufliciently small to concentrate enough of said current for producing a coagulative effect upon said tissue, said arms being thereby adapted to be used selectively with the same electric current fed thereto.

FREDERICK CHARLES WAPPLER. 

